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LA MESA (02-15-08) — AMY SYLVESTER hit a baseline shot giving Granite Hills a thrilling 63-61 Grossmont South League victory over host Helix in Thursday’s (Feb. 14) regular season finale.

Sylvester finished with a career best 26 points, which included 10-for-14 free throw shooting. It was a big night for Sylvester, who has toiled under the shadow of her close friend and teammate, senior MOLLY HILLENBRAND.

Bogged down with foul trouble from the get-go, Hillenbrand fouled out in the 4th quarter with a season-low of 3 points and 7 rebounds.

Sophomore guard SABRINA JIMENEZ was a backcourt force for Granite Hills with 21 points, 14 assists and 5 rebounds.

“Molly got in foul trouble – SINOI LEASAU pretty much shut her down,” admitted Eagles coach JERRY PARKER. “They were keying on Molly and Amy, so Sabrina kinda carried the load tonight. It’s been like that all year. Molly, Amy, Sabrina and LAUREN BENDER have led us in scoring. It hasn’t been a one-man show by any stretch.”

“I’m really happy with the way the girls have played this year. It makes it hard for teams to come out and key on just one person.”

Bender finished with 6 points and 3 rebounds.

As elated as Granite Hills was to escape with a second win in as many league starts over the Highlanders, Helix came within inches of winning the finale.

Senior BRITTANY WILLIAMS, the San Diego CIF scoring leader, missed a 15-foot jump shot with 8 seconds left that would have tied the game.

Williams finished with 32 points, which included 14 of 24 shooting from the field. That also included a trio of treys.

Leasau had more to her game than just defense as she nailed 6 of 11 shots from the field – 2 of them treys – and 5 of 7 free throws for 19 points.

“Sinoi Leasau played a great game tonight,” said Helix coach TRINA HANSEN. “It was a close game – no lead was greater than 3 points by either team. It was quite a battle.”

Granite Hills scoring: Amy Sylvester 26 (11 reb), Sabrina Jimenez 21 (14 ast, 5 reb), Lauren Bender 6 (3 reb), Molly Hillenbrand 3 (7 reb), Lauren Koblischke 3, Kylee Wilson 2, Kari Hubert 2.

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 32 (3 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Sinoi Leasau 19 (3 ast), Becky Almeraz 4, Sam Vick 2 (4 reb, 4 ast), Tatiana Jackson 2, Kami Oliver 2.

EL CAPITAN 52, SANTANA 42 – Slow starts do not necessarily mean the end of the game. Just ask the El Capitan Vaqueros, who spoiled Santana’s hopes of a co-championship in Thursday night’s (Feb. 14) Grossmont North League regular season finale.

Things started out OK for the Sultans (18-9, 5-3 GNL), who streaked out to a 17-5 first-quarter lead. After that the game belonged to El Capitan (20-7, 5-3 GNL), which pulled a reversal on their GNL rivals, outscoring the Sultans 22-0 in the 2nd quarter.

ASHLEY DUFFY, who was on the bench for the first 2 minutes as coach FRANK QUINONES started all seniors on Senior Night, helped pump life into the listless Vaqueros, finishing with a game-high 25 points, 8 rebounds, 8 steals, 4 assists and 2 blocks.

No matter how you slice it, it was games like this that prove that Duffy is the best player in the Grossmont North League.

“I sure think she is,” said Quinones.

Duffy did her best work in the 2nd and 4th quarters. She contributed 10 points in the pivotal 2nd quarter, including the go-ahead basket that made it 19-17 with 2:10 left in the 1st half.

Santana fell behind 35-20 midway through the 3rd quarter but refused to roll over. The Sultans closed the gap to 38-33 on ALYSSA PADBERG’s bucket late in the 3rd quarter.

But Duffy quickly countered with a layup of her own, leaving El Capitan on top by 7 points with one quarter to play.

LIANA PITMAN provided the early spark in the final period for El Capitan with a long-range 3-pointer, creating a 10-point advantage for the Vaqueros.

Once again Santana came storming back with buckets by KAILA SMITH and Padberg to make it a 6-point game with 5:50 left.

Consecutive baskets by Duffy stretched El Capitan ’s advantage to 47-37.

Santana cut it to 8 but finally succumbed on a 3-point bucket by Pitman and a layup by Duffy.

“I don’t know if it was about being a spoiler because we all think we should have won league,” said Duffy.

Quinones skipped the basketball tips and went to matters of the heart.

“After the 1st quarter I got into them about playing harder, having heart on Valentine’s Day, and they responded with a 22-0 run. In the 2nd quarter, what can I say? We can’t play any better than that.”

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 25 (8 reb, 4 ast, 8 stl, 2 blk), Liana Pitman 11 (2 reb), Britney Loring 10 (4 reb), Jamie Ferguson 4 (8 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Taylor Autry 2.

Santana scoring: Nicole Brzeczek 17 (4 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Alyssa Padberg 14 (2 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Kaila Smith 6 (6 reb), Samantha White 3 (4 reb), Kim Gross 2 (4 reb, 1 blk).

WEST HILLS 53, EL CAJON VALLEY 10 – Although not predicted to win the Grossmont North League title due to their youthful status, the Wolf Pack bucked the odds to capture the GNL crown under the direction of first-year head coach RYAN KINSER.

The Wolf Pack (22-6, 6-2 GNL), which took a 32-2 halftime lead over the visiting Braves (8-19, 0-8 GNL) are hoping to land a Top 4 seed in next week’s SDCIF Division II playoffs.

SHERIKA MILLER hit 6 of 10 shots from the field on her way to a game-high 16 points for West Hills, which also got 10 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals from CONNIE HINES.

Despite making wholesale substitutions, West Hills shot 49 percent from the field.

Not to be overlooked in the latest Wolf Pack onslaught was the work of MARILYN NADERHOFF. The sophomore guard took only 2 shots but made them both while dealing 6 assists and making 5 steals. Some believe that she is worthy of GNL Player of the Year honors.

“We played well early, got off to a good start,” said Kinser. “This was a game where every player had significant minutes. That will only help us in the playoffs.”

West Hills scoring: Sherika Miller 16 (3 reb, 2 blk), Connie Hines 10 (6 reb, 1 blk, 3 stl), Kimberly Clark 7 (2 stl), Corryn Kivett 7 (3 reb, 2 blk), Marilyn Naderhoff 4 (4 reb, 6 ast, 5 stl), Becca Jones 3 (2 reb, 3 ast), Shelby Russo 2, Amber Darby 2, Danielle Hays 2, Mariah Bennett (2 reb, 4 ast).

El Cajon Valley scoring: Sheraina Moon 8, Kaylani Faten 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 77, MONTE VISTA 15 – DANESIA WILLIAMSON, the odds-on favorite to earn Grossmont South league Player of the Year honors, was at the top of her game with 26 points, 7 assists, 7 steals and 5 rebounds as Mount Miguel mauled Monte Vista in Thursday’s (Feb. 14) GSL finale.

The victory – Mount Miguel ’s 74th in 75 GSL starts – wrapped up the Matadors’ 8th straight league title.

“All we’re looking forward to now is the playoffs,” said Mount Miguel coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL.

Mount Miguel scoring: Danesia Williamson 26 (5 reb, 7 ast, 7 stl), Autumn Spikes 21 (7 reb, 2 ast, 5 blk), Cindy Ekweozor 7 (12 reb, 3 blk, 3 ast), Danielle Miller 7 (3 reb, 2 stl), Nicole Fountain 6 (4 reb, 4 stl, 2 ast), Shateara Anderson 5, Trina Clark 5 (2 reb, 2 stl).

Monte Vista scoring: Ailene Pamintuan 5, Kayla Pusey 3, Jill Miranda 2, DeAnna Bembry 2, Opal Ross 2, Ashley Weatherford 1.

STEELE CANYON 49, VALHALLA 27 – Steele Canyon further solidified its playoff position by bowling over host Valhalla in Thursday’s (Feb. 14) Grossmont South League season-ender.

“I loved the way we finished the season strong,” said Steele Canyon coach PENNY SMITH. “It gives us a little extra motivation to try to win that first game in playoffs. We hope to get a 10th or 11th seed.”

“We played hard the whole game,” said Valhalla coach JON OWENS. “We didn’t quit. We have learned a lot and will be prepared for next season. Our seniors played really, really well tonight.”

Steele Canyon scoring: Belinda Pickens 14 (14 reb, 6 stl), Briana Eiter 13 (4 reb), Katy Snew 14 (8 reb, 3 stl), Jazmin Daigle 2, Yvette Phipps 2, Julianne Kolegraff 1 (2 stl), Jackie McGovern 3.

Valhalla scoring: Kelani Blackwell 9 (3 reb, 1 blk), Kelsey Cartmill 8 (3 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Nichole Miller 4 (7 reb, 1 blk), Megan Tex 3 (3 reb, 2 blk), Megan Lee 2 (5 reb, 1 blk), Jenn Gold 1, Amy Woods (2 reb, 1 blk).

CORONADO 53, CHRISTIAN 12 – The Patriots concluded their disastrous season with their 24th loss in 25 games.

Christian scoring: Ali Scott 4, Kelsey DePriest 3, Marisa Marvin 3, Monique Elliott 2.

© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (2-13-08) -- It took 20 years, but West Hills High is all but guaranteed to fill a void on its Wall of Fame. The Wolf Pack own numerous championships -- both league and CIF -- in a long list of sports, yet none in girls basketball.

That all changed on Tuesday (Feb. 12).

"We just practiced really hard, then came out and played like crazy," said West Hills guard MARIAH BENNETT. "We played like animals -- we really wanted it."

Bounding back from an earlier loss featuring tons of web blog claims of illness, the Wolf Pack all-but-completed their case for a first-ever championship by taking down Santana, 40-35.

The victory means the Pack (21-6 overall, 5-2 GNL) only needs to defeat last-place El Cajon Valley in Thursday's regular season finale to validate its initial Grossmont North League title. Slumping Santana (18-8, 5-2 GNL), despite two straight setbacks, can also gain a co-title with a road victory at archrival El Capitan.

Bennett led the defensive slug-fest by limiting Santana guard NICOLE BRZECZEK to just a single point through three quarters of play.

"I've been going against Nicole since the 6th grade -- she's a really great player," noted Bennett. "But this was our first chance to win a banner and we weren't going to let them win it on our court."

West Hills jumped from the gate to claim a quick 15-4 lead, then stretched the advantage to 14 points early in the second quarter. Then the defenses dug in, challenging every shot and denying pass after pass, as the team combined for just 9 total third-period points.

"We know each other really well, so it was just a matter of working really hard," added West Hills forward MARILYN NADERHOFF, who also shared in the duties of covering Brzeczek.

Santana stayed on contact with the Pack behind a game-high 16 points from JAMIE ELIAS. And when Brzeczek opened the fourth period with a pair of baskets -- her first of the contest -- the Sultans moved to within 34-27.

However, despite an Elias jumper and a Brzeczek 3-point goal to close within five, the clock ran out on the Sultans.

"It happens this way sometimes," noted Brzeczek, who finished with 8 points and 6 assists. "West Hills just made it difficult for us to run our offense."

West Hills also allowed few second-chance opportunities, as SHERIKA MILLER hauled in 10 rebounds, while CONNIE HINES posted 8 boards.

Naderhoff, Bennett, Miller and KIMBERLY CLARK have played together since teaming on the Warriors in the 3rd grade.

West Hills scoring: Marilyn Naderhoff 10, Corryn Kivett 9, Connie Hines 7 (8 reb), Sherika Miller 6 (10 reb, 3 blk), Kimberly Clark 5, Mariah Bennett 2, Shelby Russo 1.

Santana scoring: Jamie Elias 16 (9 reb), Nicole Brzeczek 8 (6 ast), Kaila Smith 6 (7 reb), Alyssa Padberg 3 (8 reb), Samantha White 2 (4 stl).

MOUNT MIGUEL 52, GRANITE HILLS 35 – DANESIA WILLIAMSON scored 21 points and grabbed 8 rebounds to lead Mount Miguel past Granite Hills in Tuesday’s (Feb. 12) Grossmont South League showdown in El Cajon.

AUTUMN SPIKES added 10 points and 6 boards, while CINDY EKWEOZOR grabbed 22 rebounds, dished 5 assists, blocked 2 shots and scored 8 points.

“I did my job – made plays and passed the ball,” said Ekweozor. “Granite Hills has some tough girls but we have stronger and taller girls though. We never had any doubt that we would come out here and win.”

MOLLY HILLENBRAND led Granite Hills with 14 points and 7 rebounds.

Mount Miguel (16-4, 9-0 GSL) wrapped up its eighth straight league championship. All of those crowns have come under the direction of ROBBIE SANDOVAL, whose Matadors are 73-1 in league games under his tutelage.

The Matadors, who trailed 22-10 early in the 1st half, embarked on a 34-2 run in the middle two quarters to claim the victory.

“I thought they kicked it up to another notch during that run,” said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER. “They were getting after loose balls, blocking shots and making shots. We knew they were capable of a run like that, but we were also hoping we could counter with one of our own.”

That didn’t happen for Granite Hills, who hopes to beat Helix in Thursday’s (Feb. 14) regular season finale to gain a No. 4 seed in the San Diego CIF Division I playoffs.

Mount Miguel scoring: Danesia Williamson 21 (8 reb, 4 ast), 3 stl), Autumn Spikes 10 (6 reb, 2 ast), Cindy Ekweozor 8 (22 reb, 5 ast), Nicole Fountain 6 (7 reb, 2 ast), Trina Clark 5 (2 reb), Danielle Miller 2 (3 reb, 2 stl).

Granite Hills scoring: Molly Hillenbrand 14 (7 reb, 4 stl, 1 blk), Sabrina Jimenez 5 (5 reb, 3 ast), Kylee Wilson 5 (2 stl), Lauren Bender 4 (6 reb), Amy Sylvester 4 (7 reb), Samantha Silva 3 (6 reb).

GROSSMONT 62, EL CAPITAN 57 – Without a doubt El Capitan coach FRANK QUINONES focused his defensive attention on Grossmont senior guard TINA RIOS when the two Grossmont North League rivals met in Tuesday’s (Feb. 12) Grossmont North League showdown.

Quinones’ strategy, by the book, would be considered the right page.

What the Vaqueros’ coach did not count on was the scoring blitz provided by HEATHER SPRINGE, who equaled her career-high with 29 points for the Foothillers.

Commenting on Springe’s performance, Grossmont coach MARK DeFEDE said, “This was unbelievable, I can’t believe it. I’ve been telling Heather Springe to go to the basket all year and tonight she did it really well. And Tina did a great job of getting her the ball.”

Rios finished with a double-double of 14 points – the majority coming on 4 treys – and 10 assists to go along with 4 steals.

TERRA MUSGROVE crashed the boards for 12 rebounds and netted 9 points for the Foothillers (13-11, 4-4 GNL).

ASHLEY DUFFY led El Capitan with 25 points, 6 assists and 6 steals.

“We tried to slow Duffy down, but you just can’t slow that girl down,” said DeFede.

Duffy did not score in the 2nd quarter as the Foothillers gained a 23-11 scoring advantage to lead 32-25 by halftime.

“We had Tina guarding her in the 2nd quarter until Tina got into foul trouble,” said DeFede. “Then at the end of the game, when Tina fouled out with 5 minutes to play, I put TIFFANY TOOSON on Duffy.”

“El Capitan came out hot tonight,” DeFede continued. “I told the girls we can play spoiler and we did. There was no pressure on us. It was to get a higher seed and a home game.”

“We concentrated more on Musgrove and Rios and held Rios to 14 and Musgrove to 9 points, but we fell asleep on Springe,” said Quinones. “She killed us. We started off great, went up 14-2 to open the game and then we let Rios hit 3 threes right off the bat. Grossmont hit 6 of their 9 threes in the 2nd quarter. We were down 3 in the 4th quarter (when Rios fouled out) and ALLISON BAXTER came in and drained a 3. They are the Grossmont North spoilers.”

“It hurts not having ASHLEY BUNCE at 100 percent (rolled ankle in practice yesterday),” Quinones said. “I want to give credit to JAMIE FERGUSON and BRITNEY LORING who did a very good job underneath, keeping Musgrove under control. We couldn’t let her get free shots. Ferguson had a great night defensively with 10 rebounds.”

“We are out of league contention now so we’ll have to get ready for playoffs. If we win or lose to Santana (Thursday, Feb. 14) I don’t think it will change our seed for the playoffs.”

Grossmont scoring: Heather Springe 29, Tina Rios 14 (10 ast, 4 stl), Terra Musgrove 9 (12 reb), Danielle Balderas 5, Allison Baxter 5.

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 25 (4 reb, 6 ast, 6 stl), Liana Pitman 14 (3 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Jamie Ferguson 6 (10 reb, 3 stl), Crisela Banks 4 (6 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Samantha Spring 2, Taylor Autry 2 (2 reb), Ashley Bunce 2, Britney Loring 2 (2 reb, 2 blk).

HELIX 70, VALHALLA 37 – Senior BRITTANY WILLIAMS made 11 of 22 shots from the field on her way to scoring 26 points and also dished 5 assists and made 7 steals to direct Helix to a lop-sided victory over Valhalla in Tuesday’s (Feb. 12) Grossmont South League rout at Valhalla.

The Highlanders shot 51 percent from the field (30 of 59), including a 5 for 5 effort by BECKY ALMERAZ, who totaled 11 points.

KAMI OLIVER added 8 points and 8 rebounds for the Highlanders.

“Our bench players all played well,” said TRINA HANSEN.

KELANI BLACKWELL led Valhalla with 10 points and 4 rebounds.

“We played real hard,” said Valhalla coach JON OWENS. “KELANI BLACKWELL, TANISHA LEE and NICHOLE MILLER stood out on both ends of the floor.”

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 26 (2 reb, 5 ast, 7 stl), Becky Almeraz 11 (2 reb), Sinoi Leasau 8 (5 reb, 5 ast), Kami Oliver 8 (8 reb), Sam Vick 4 (5 ast), Tatiana Jackson 4 (3 reb), Natalia Cano 3, Chanelle McNutt 2, Mariah Walker 2, Cierra Coleman 2.

Valhalla scoring: Kelani Blackwell 10 (4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Kelsey Cartmill 8 (7 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Tanisha Lee 8 (3 reb), Nichole Miller 7 (10 reb, 1 blk, 3 stl), Britney Dollard 2, Amy Woods 2 (3 reb, 1 blk).

STEELE CANYON 42, MONTE VISTA 34 – KATY SNEW scored 12 points and made 3 steals while BELINDA PICKENS pitched in 10 points and 11 rebounds to lead Steele Canyon past visiting Monte Vista in Tuesday’s (Feb. 12) Grossmont South League action.

“Our goal has always been to get into the playoffs and win that first game,” said Steele Canyon coach PENNY SMITH. “We were down in the 1st and 2nd quarters. For some reason our team wasn’t blending together. We started all our seniors since it was Senior Night and I don’t think the team was used to that rotation. It took some time to get comfortable with all the seniors in there.”

Steele Canyon made 16 of 23 free throws.

“It came down to free throws tonight,” Smith said. “We were comfortable shooting free throws.”

Steele Canyon scoring: Katy Snew 12 (3 stl), Belinda Pickens 10 (11 reb), Briana Eiter 9 (2 stl), Julianne Kolegraff 5, Mace Alameri 4 (3 stl), Jazmin Daigle 2 (4 stl), Jackie McGovern (8 reb).

Monte Vista scoring: Jill Miranda 11, Ashley Weatherford 9, Janay Patton 6, Ailene Pamintuan 4, LiAiesha Brandon 2, Kayla Pusey 1, Opal Ross 1.

CRAWFORD 68, CHRISTIAN 28 – Crawford’s Larissa Hernandez scored a game-high 20 points – 14 in the 2nd quarter – to lead the Colts past Christian in Tuesday’s (Feb. 12) Central League game.

Christian scoring: Kelsey DePriest 13, Monique Elliott 5, Ricki Gentry 4, Marisa Marvin 2.

© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (2-9-08) -- The west wall inside the Santana High gymnasium displays more girls basketball championship banners -- both league and CIF -- than any other school in the San Diego Section. But the Sultans will need to wait before adding to the collection.

“We didn’t want them to win the title against us,” explained Grossmont senior guard TINA RIOS. “Even though we were only 2-4 in league, we still wanted to make our mark -- we wanted to go out with a fight.”

Although the chance for an upset was briefly lost when Santana’s LAUREN MUELLER hit a driving layin at the buzzer to force overtime, the visiting Foothillers let the world know they are still the defending Grossmont North League champions by hanging on in two overtimes to nip the Sultans, 43-42.

HEATHER SPRINGE hit the second of two foul shots with 8 seconds remaining for the go-ahead score, then a swarming Hillers defense didn’t allow Santana standout NICOLE BRZECZEK to release a potential game-stealing shot to force a tie-up as time expired.

“We didn’t want it to end here, so this was a very satisfying win,” added Rios, who registered 13 points. “We have some young girls who are just beginning to understand the game, and they played really well.”

Grossmont noted the defensive play of TIFFANY TOOSON, who was responsible for defending Brzeczek. Although the Santana senior’s scoring topped her season average with 17 points, she couldn’t pass to teammates in scoring position, limited to just three assists.

“I faced her before and knew she was a really good player,” said Tooson. “But if I was able to guard her, then we knew we had a chance to win. And to do so is a wonderful feeling -- it was a great win.”

Brzeczek scored on only a pair of free throws in the first half, as Grossmont raced to a 23-12 halftime lead. So Santana coach JIM MOTTERSHAW moved his standout point guard back to a wing -- where she played during her first three seasons with the program -- to give her more scoring opportunities.

Even after Tooson fouled out, Rios and CHANEL PATROS took turns marking Brzeczek, who scored just one foul shot over both overtime periods. Meanwhile, the Hillers’ TERRA MUSGROVE answered with 3 of her team-high 14 points during extra time.

“Musgrove was a huge difference for us,” said Grossmont coach MARK DeFEDE, noting that the 5-foot-10 junior was injured and did not play in the first-round league meeting won by the Sultans, 48-37.

Ironically, Santana actually beat the Foothillers twice, including a 35-27 tournament knockout earlier in the season.

Grossmont scoring: Terra Musgrove 14 (8 reb), Tina Rios 13 (6 ast, 4 stl), Heather Springe 12 (9 reb), Allison Baxter 3 (6 reb), Tiffany Tooson 1 (4 stl, 4 reb).

Santana scoring: Nicole Brzeczek 17 (3 ast), Alyssa Padberg 8, Samantha White 6, Kaila Smith 5 (15 reb), Lauren Mueller 4, Brittany Fenn 2.

GRANITE HILLS 61, STEELE CANYON 42 – Although the Eagles were no doubt looking ahead to Tuesday’s (Feb. 12) Grossmont South League showdown against front-running Mount Miguel, they managed to keep their minds on matters at hand in Friday night’s (Feb. 8) duel against upset-minded Steele Canyon.

Word from the Mount Miguel camp says the Eagles have been crowing that this could be the year that Granite Hills forces the Matadors to share the GSL championship for the first time in 8 seasons.

Not that the Eagles have made any predictions face-to-face, but the various websites such as YouTube.com have provided a platform for discussion.

Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER doesn’t get wrapped up in such folderol. His focus was on beating Steele Canyon.

“We pretty much controlled the game most of the time,” said Parker.

The Eagles’ front line of MOLLY HILLENBRAND (20 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists) and AMY SYLVESTER (20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) guided Granite Hills (18-8, 7-1 GSL) to its 4th straight victory.

“We were pretty strong down low on both ends of the floor,” Parker added. “Amy and Molly were a dominating duo. Molly is turning up the level of her game at the right time of the season.”

Sophomore guard SABRINA JIMENEZ rolled three of a kind – as it 8 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists – for the Eagles, while LAUREN BENDER contributed 9 rebounds, while SAM SILVA pitched in 4 assists.

BRIANA EITER led Steele Canyon with 15 points, the majority coming on a trio of treys.

The Eagles led 16-12 after one quarter before breaking the game open with a 17-3 run in the 2nd period.

Granite Hills scoring: Molly Hillenbrand 20 (14 reb, 8 ast), Amy Sylvester 20 (13 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Sabrina Jimenez 8 (8 reb, 8 ast, 1 blk), Alyssa Canoff 5, Lauren Bender 4 (9 reb, 1 blk), Kylee Wilson 2 (2 ast), Samantha Silva 2 (3 reb, 4 ast), Lauren Koblischke (2 reb).

Steele Canyon scoring: Briana Eiter 15, Mace Alameri 8, Belinda Pickens 5, Katy Snew 5, Jazmin Daigle 5, Julianne Kolegraff 4.

MOUNT MIGUEL 53, HELIX 39 – Coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL’s Mount Miguel Matadors can make it 8 Grossmont South League titles in 8 years by turning back upstart Granite Hills in Tuesday’s (Feb. 12) GSL showdown in El Cajon.

It’s funny that not too long ago Mount Miguel's primary rivalry focus was on Helix (11-14, 4-4 GSL) – the only league rival to beat the Matadors in the last 8 seasons.

Helix celebrated a 37-34 win over the Matadors two years ago. But No. 2 ranked Mount Miguel (15-4, 8-0 GSL), which sports a 73-1 league record during coach Sandoval’s reign, marched out to an 18-6 first quarter lead in Friday night’s (Feb. 8) renewal at Mount Miguel.

“The game was never in doubt,” said Sandoval. “I really think our kids were more focused on looking forward to Tuesday’s (Feb. 12) game at Granite Hills. There’s been a lot of talking between our two teams on the internet.”

CINDY EKWEOZOR (16 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks) and AUTUMN SPIKES (13 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks) dominated the Highlanders inside.

Sandoval noted that San Jose State coach Pam Acosta was in attendance watching two of her primary recruits – Spikes and Helix senior guard BRITTANY WILLIAMS (22 points, 3 assists, 3 steals).

“They outscored us 29-0 in the paint. We couldn’t contain them,” said Helix coach TRINA HANSEN.

SINOI LEASAU added 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting along with 4 rebounds for the Highlanders.

Mount Miguel scoring: Cindy Ekweozor 16 (13 reb, 3 blk), Danesia Williamson 15 (2 reb, 6 ast, 4 stl), Autumn Spikes 13 (15 reb, 3 stl, 5 blk), Nicole Fountain 5 (3 reb, 2 stl), Danielle Miller 4 (2 reb, 2 ast).

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 22 (4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Sinoi Leasau 13 (4 reb), Sam Vick 2, Becky Almeraz 2.

MONTE VISTA 47, VALHALLA 40 – When you’re struggling like these two teams have all season, it’s games like Friday night’s (Feb. 8) Grossmont South League match-up at Monte Vista that creates a belated sparkle in players’ eyes.

Both teams believed they could win. This game was that close.

Host Monte Vista was clinging to a 34-31 lead after three quarters. Unlike in other games this season, the Monarchs refused to buckle as they knocked off the Norsemen for the second time this season.

“We played well, we did a lot of things right tonight,” said Monte Vista coach MIKE SKIBBE. “We did a good job controlling the boards.”

Five-foot-8 freshman DeANNA BEMBRY coined a double-double for Monte Vista with 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. She also blocked 3 shots, dished 2 assists and made 2 steals.

“DeAnna Bembry was strong in all phases of the game,” said Skibbe. “We cut the turnovers down and handled the ball well. I was really pleased with our effort tonight, the gals were really happy coming off the court.”

KELANI BLACKWELL returned from a injury to lead Valhalla with 13 points, while TANISHA LEE contributed 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.

KELLEY SEITZ also garnered 7 boards for Valhalla.

“We tied it once but couldn’t buy a bucket when we needed it,” said Valhalla coach JON OWENS. “We couldn’t get any shots to fall.”

“In the 1st quarter MORGAN GERKEN dislocated a knee and had to leave the game,” said Owens. “We can add that to the two broken noses, injured elbow, several rolled ankles and the strep our team has suffered.”

Monte Vista scoring: DeAnna Bembry 12 (16 reb, 2 ast, 3 blk, 2 stl), Jill Miranda 10, Ashley Weatherford 6, Megan Boyce 5 (3 ast), Alex Ross 4, Opal Ross 4, Kayla Pusey 4, LiAiesha Brandon 2 (2 reb, 2 blk).

Valhalla scoring: Kelani Blackwell 13 (3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Tanisha Lee 10 (7 reb, 3 stl), Kelsey Cartmill 5 (5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Laurel Scovie 4, Nichole Miller 3 (4 reb, 2 stl), Megan Tex 2 (2 reb, 2 stl), Morgan Gerken 2, Kelley Seitz 1 (7 reb, 3 stl), Amy Woods (3 reb).

EL CAPITAN 52, EL CAJON VALLEY 10 – El Capitan kept its Grossmont North League hopes alive by crushing El Cajon Valley in Friday night’s (Feb. 8) Grossmont North League game on the Braves’ home court.

The victory – the 6th in the last 7 starts for the visiting Vaqueros (19-6, 4-2 GNL) – positioned El Capitan for a possible title run in the final week of the regular season.

The Vaqueros travel to Grossmont on Tuesday (Feb. 12) before concluding the campaign by hosting Santana on Thursday (Feb. 14). A sweep of those two games would assure the Vaqueros of nothing short of a co-championship.

“Every player on our team is a key ingredient to what we’ve done this season,” said Vaqueros coach FRANK QUINONES. “Overall we played better in the 2nd half than in the 1st half. We shot pretty pathetic (36 percent) in the 1st half. We were able to work on our offense tonight, try out some new sets.”

The ever-reliable ASHLEY DUFFY directed the El Capitan attack with 18 points – the majority coming on a quartet of 3-pointers.

JAMIE FERGUSON was a defensive stalwart for the Vaqueros with 10 rebounds and 3 steals.

LIANA PITMAN led the Vaqs with 5 steals and also contributed 8 points, the majority coming on a pair of treys.

“Bringing up freshman AMBER REL-SOLIA was huge for us – she will be a key player next year inside the paint,” said Quinones. “She has led our JV team to a 17-5 record this year. I think she’ll be a varsity player for the rest of the season.”

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 18 (6 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl), Taylor Autry 9 (3 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl), Liana Pitman 8 (2 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl), Ashley Bunce 7 (6 reb), Amber Rel-Solia 4 (3 reb, 4 stl), Crisela Banks 2, Samantha Spring 2 (3 ast), Jamie Ferguson 2 (10 reb, 3 stl).

El Cajon Valley scoring: Sheraina Moon 6, Kelly Wimberly 2, Kaylani Faten 2.

CLAIREMONT 41, CHRISTIAN 22 – The Patriots one-game winning streak, which came about on Tuesday (Feb. 5) didn’t last long. Give host Christian (1-22, 1-7 CTL) credit for putting up a fight in the first half as the Patriots trailed only 15-13.

A 13-2 third-quarter sweep by Clairemont (3-14, 3-5 CTL) decided the issue in Friday’s (Feb. 8) Central League contest at the Ryan Athletic Center.

Christian scoring: Ali Scott 7, Kelsey DePriest 5, Monique Elliott 4, Ricki Gentry 3, Marisa Marvin 3.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-6-08) — Given that Christian High’s Patriots were averaging just 15.9 points per game in their initial 22 starts, first-year coach SKIP GERLEK had to secretly believe that his team had no chance of coming out with a victory this year.

No matter what Gerlek might have thought, Christian somehow found the offensive emphasis in Tuesday’s (Feb. 5) Central League joust to score a season-high in defeating Madison 49-40 at the Ryan Athletic Center.

Only once have the Patriots scored more than 28 points in a game prior to their March past Madison (3-14, 1-4 CTL).

Remember, this is a Patriots squad that had been held to fewer than 9 points four times in the past.

Not this time though.

Sophomore ALI SCOTT, who joined the team late in the season, registered a career-high 17 points and senior KELSEY DePRIEST added 12 more, guiding the Patriots to the emotional victory.

The game was tied at 30-all entering the final period.

Christian was 11 for 17 on free throws over the final eight minutes as the Patriots gained a 19-10 scoring edge.

“We went right at them in the 4th quarter because of the foul difficulty,” Gerlek, noting that Madison had four players foul out in the final period. “We played very aggressive on both ends of the floor. We really got at them defensively.”

“Our players were so ecstatic after the game. I have never felt better as a coach. I am so proud of each player on this team.”

Christian scoring: Ali Scott 17, Kelsey DePriest 12, Marisa Marvin 8, Monique Elliott 7, Ricki Gentry 5.

WEST HILLS 52, GROSSMONT 27 – There are those in East County that believe West Hills is not as good as its 20-6 record. Do not include Grossmont coach MARK DeFEDE and the Grossmont Foothillers among the naysayers.

The Wolf Pack (4-2 GNL) trampled the host Foothillers in all four quarters of Tuesday’s (Feb. 5) Grossmont North League contest.

West Hills has beaten Grossmont by an average of more than 20 points per game in the two league meetings.

“It feels good to get to 20 wins,” said West Hills first-year coach RYAN KINSER. “It’s nice to reach that milestone. We played outstanding defense for all four quarters.”

West Hills’ biting defense denied the Foothillers (11-11, 2-4 GNL) any double-digit scorers.

Grossmont hotshot TINA RIOS, who came in averaging 14.5 points per game, was limited to 8.

“MARIAH BENNETT did a great job on TINA RIOS, holding her to just two field goals,” said Kinser.

Ironically, only one player from either team reached double scoring digits and that was SHERIKA MILLER, who totaled 14 points on 4 of 9 shooting from the field and 6 of 8 free throws.

CORRYN KIVETT garnered a game-high 10 rebounds for the Wolf Pack, while AMBER DARBY rolled a nifty combination of 9 points and 6 rebounds.

“We didn’t shoot very well at all,” said Grossmont coach MARK DeFEDE. “We shot horrible – missed a lot of easy shots. West Hills played pretty good defense on us. I knew it would be tough to play them right after they lost to El Capitan on Friday – I knew they’d be hungry.”

West Hills scoring: Sherika Miller 14 (4 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Amber Darby 9 (6 reb, 1 blk), Kimberly Clark 7 (2 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl), Shelby Russo 7 (2 reb, 2 ast), Mariah Bennett 6 (2 reb), Corryn Kivett 4 (10 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Marilyn Naderhoff 4 (3 reb, 6 ast), Danielle Hays 1 (2 reb, 1 blk), Connie Hines (6 reb, 1 blk, 3 stl).

Grossmont scoring: Tina Rios 8 (3 ast, 3 stl), Heather Springe 8, Allison Baxter 5, Danielle Balderas 3 (4 reb), Terra Musgrove 3 (8 reb).

MOUNT MIGUEL 62, STEELE CANYON 18 – Mount Miguel's surge to an 8th straight Grossmont South League championship has not been challenged and it doesn’t figure to as the Matadors added another victory with Tuesday’s (Feb. 5) blowout at Steele Canyon.

The No. 2 ranked Matadors (14-4, 7-0 GSL) marched to a 15-2 first-quarter lead and held a 49-14 spread before the running clock started in the 4th quarter.

For Mount Miguel this was an inside job as AUTUMN SPIKES pumped in 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while CINDY EKWEOZOR added 18 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocked shots.

“Cindy and Autumn had big nights,” said Mount Miguel coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL. “It was Cindy’s biggest night.”

NICOLE FOUNTAIN has become a steady contributor of late. She pitched in with 9 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals against Steele Canyon.

“We need Cindy, Autumn and Nicole to be more consistent for us so we can be a better team,” Sandoval added.

Junior point guard DANESIA WILLIAMSON was saddled for a season-low 7 points – 8 less than her previous low water mark.

“Danesia ran the show – it wasn’t necessary for her to score,” said Sandoval. “She can score when we need her to.”

BELINDA PICKENS led Steele Canyon (10-13, 3-4 GSL) with 9 points and 3 rebounds.

“Our seniors took a day off after our win against Helix,” said Steele Canyon coach PENNY SMITH. “They won, we lost, I’ll move forward. I don’t feel we came ready to play.”

Mount Miguel scoring: Autumn Spikes 19 (10 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Cindy Ekweozor 18 (12 reb, 7 blk), Nicole Fountain 9 (7 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl), Danielle Miller 8 (2 ast, 4 stl), Danesia Williamson 7 (6 ast, 5 stl), Trina Clark 1.

Steele Canyon scoring: Belinda Pickens 9 (8 reb), Briana Eiter 5 (5 reb), Julianne Kolegraff 2, Katy Snew 2, Jackie McGovern (6 reb), Jazmin Daigle (3 reb).

SANTANA 52, EL CAJON VALLEY 16 – Nobody who has followed East County basketball for any length of time would say this is the flashiest Santana basketball they’ve ever seen.

EastCountySports.com’s pre-league predictions saddled Santana with a 3rd place finish in the Grossmont North.

Apparently the Sultans (18-6, 5-0 GNL) don’t believe everything they read.

Senior guard NICOLE BRZECZEK was the Sultans’ guiding light in Tuesday’s (Feb. 5) GNL romp over El Cajon Valley (8-17, 0-6 GNL). Brzeczek punched in 18 points, 6 assists and 7 steals for Santana, which has won 13 of its last 16 games.

An 18-2 scoring advantage in the 3rd quarter stamped the victory for Santana.

“Our defensive effort in the 2nd half was our best effort of the year,” said Sultans coach JIM MOTTERSHAW.

Santana scoring: Nicole Brzeczek 18 (6 ast, 7 stl), Alyssa Pedberg 8, Kaila Smith 6 (7 reb), Kim Gross 6 (4 reb), Brittany Fenn 6, Jamie Elias 4 (5 reb), Lauren Mueller 2, Keila Morris 2, Samantha White (4 reb).

El Cajon Valley scoring: Hazel Doe 4, Kaylani Faten 4, Jeena Norwarekar 2, Sheraina Moon 2, Erin Robinson 2, Tericka Williams 2.

HELIX 73, MONTE VISTA 28 – Nobody in East County is even close to scoring as many points as Helix’s BRITTANY WILLIAMS, who has totaled 556 markers in 23 games this season.

The 5-foot-10 San Jose State-bound guard rang up 37 points, 10 assists and 10 steals as the visiting Highlanders mowed down Monte Vista in Tuesday’s (Feb. 5) Grossmont South League contest.

Williams clicked on 16 of 25 shots from the field – 5 of them from 3-point range.

SINOI LEASAU netted 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting, while SAM VICK hit 5 of 8 shots from the floor for 12 points. Leasau and Vick were each 2 for 2 from the free throw line.

Helix (11-13, 4-3 GSL) scored 25 points in each of the first two quarters to lead 50-18 by intermission.

“Everybody played significant minutes,” said Helix coach TRINA HANSEN. “We moved the ball well, rebounded well and played aggressively on both ends of the court.”

The good news for Monte Vista (1-23, 1-6 GSL) is eight players reached the scoring column, including DeANNA BEMBRY, who tallied 4 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

“We are what we are,” said Monarchs coach MIKE SKIBBE. “We didn’t play in the off-season and its getting us. We get a little nervous when we get a little pressure put on us. The young kids want to play in the off-season. Next year we’ll come back and be fine. We just haven’t played a lot of basketball.”

“Freshman SABRINA GUERRERO had a great night tonight for us,” said Skibbe. “And AILENE PAMINTUAN played strong defense on Brittany Williams. That takes a lot of courage. Our young group isn’t afraid of anything. They come to play.”

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 37 (10 ast, 10 stl, 5 reb), Sinoi Leasau 15 (4 ast, 4 stl), Sam Vick 12 (2 reb, 2 ast), Patrice Craig 4 (2 reb, 3 stl), Tatiana Jackson 2, Mariah Walker 2 (4 reb, 2 stl), Cierra Coleman 1 (2 stl), Kami Oliver (5 reb, 2 ast).

Monte Vista scoring: Ashley Weatherford 4, Ailene Pamintuan 4, Janay Patton 4, LiAiesha Brandon 4, DeAnna Bembry 4, Jill Miranda 3, Alex Ross 3, Sabrina Guerrero 2.

GRANITE HILLS 62, VALHALLA 18 – MOLLY HILLENBRAND scored 16 points, bagged 12 rebounds and recorded 8 steals to lead the Eagles past visiting Valhalla in Tuesday’s (Feb. 5) Grossmont South League encounter.

AMY SYLVESTER added 10 points, a game-high 14 rebounds and 6 steals to the Eagles’ account, while SABRINA JIMENEZ dropped in 15 points, dished 8 assists and notched 4 steals.

Jimenez added to her East County-leading 3-point total by landing a trio of treys against Valhalla.

This was ugly from the outset as Granite Hills took a 23-0 first-quarter lead.

“Defensively we started off pretty well,” said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER. “Defensively the girls have been really getting after it in practice and it’s carrying over to the games.”

ALYSSA CANOFF continued her long-range shooting accuracy, nailing a pair of treys and finishing with 7 points. In her last two games she has scored 19 points, the majority coming on her 6 treys.

“I think Alyssa Canoff is starting to play better, starting to hit some from outside,” said her coach.

Granite Hills scoring: Molly Hillenbrand 16 (12 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk, 8 stl), Sabrina Jimenez 15 (5 reb, 8 ast, 4 stl), Amy Sylvester 10 (14 reb, 3 ast, 6 stl), Alyssa Canoff 7, Lauren Bender 6 (8 reb, 2 stl), Kylee Wilson 3 (4 ast, 4 stl), Samantha Silva 2, Lauren Koblischke 2, Monique Ybarra 1 (4 reb).

Valhalla scoring: Nichole Miller 5 (11 reb), Kelsey Cartmill 5, Kelani Blackwell 5, Britney Dollard 2, Megan Tex 1 (5 reb), Tanisha Lee (5 reb).

© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (2-2-08) -- It seemed like no one could make a 3-point shot in the closing seconds of Friday's (Feb. 1) Grossmont North League nailbiter between El Capitan and West Hills, yet both teams were exchanging jumpers at a startling rate in one of the season's best finishes.

It came down to a matter of inches before the Vaqueros finally gained a stunning 61-60 decision to ruin homecoming for the Wolf Pack.

ASHLEY DUFFY narrowly missed a triple-double with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. But it was a call which went her way on defense which prevented the contest from heading into overtime.

"I knew I had to take away their shooter, but she suddenly went baseline on me," said Duffy. "And I said to myself, 'Oh, no,' -- I thought I had fouled her."

Following a timeout to set-up a final shot while trailing by 3 points, Duffy was sent to guard Wolf Pack scoring leader KIMBERLY CLARK, who indeed received the inbounds pass along the baseline. But instead of taking the anticipated 3-point shot, Clark shocked the Vaqueros by pump-faking and driving to the basket.

"I guess she thought I was going to block her shot," added Duffy.

With the final six seconds ticking away, Clark pulled up and released a 10-footer from along the end line. It took a moment for El Capitan to realize that even though Clark drained her jump shot, no foul was whistled and the Vaqueros escaped West Hills' rally from an 8-point, fourth-quarter deficit.

"We're looking for a 3-point shot, but Kimberly's a pretty smart player," noted Wolf Pack coach RYAN KINSER. "Maybe she did know her shot would've been blocked."

"Now we need to win out and get some help."

Along with the truck-load of excited Vaqueros fans, the biggest groups of smiles were players from idle Santana, who were in attendance, too. The Sultans now own a 2-game lead over both El Capitan and West Hills, needing only a split against the pair to clinch the GNL crown.

Trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half, West Hills rallied for a 37-35 point in the third period, when Wolf Pack guard MARILYN NADERHOFF sank four straight shots, scoring 10 of her team-best 23 points in the third period.

However, LIANA PITMAN (15 points, 10 rebounds) sank one of her four 3-balls to close the third period, then Duffy sank a trey to open the final period for a 53-45 lead.

Once again, the Pack responded by scoring 10 straight points. SHERIKA MILLER took a Naderhoff pass for a layin while being fouled for a traditional 3-point play, then Clark capped the string with a jumper with her heel on the 3-point line, yet still giving West Hills a 58-57 lead with 51 seconds remaining.

El Capitan answered back when Duffy found CRISELA BANKS open for a long jumper -- again, a foot was on the line -- with 42 seconds left.

"It's hard to explain the excitement out there and we all seemed to be zoned out," noted Banks. "I'm just happy to make the shot because it was such a great pass by Ashley. Our offense was calm and patient with each other."

West Hills then missed a potential go-ahead shot, so fouled, but when the Pack missed the front end of a 1-and-1, SAM SPRING was credited with the offensive rebound by tipping the loose ball directly to Duffy. She was fouled and sank both free throws with 10 seconds left to set-up the final sequence.

"I heard their coach yell 'three,' but Kimberly made her move and didn't get the call," added Duffy. "Now everybody's even, but we have a bunch of home games left which is good."

“Tonight we took control of the game right from the start,” said El Capitan coach FRANK QUINONES. “We ran our time of possession – after we crossed half- court – to an average of 20-25 seconds compared to 5-6 seconds the first time we played West Hills.”

“We took care of the ball, waited for the open person and got a lot of good looks underneath the basket. The last time we played them we shot an ungodly 13 for 67. Tonight we were 22 of 55.”

“I have to give West Hills credit, they shot exceptionally well at the free throw line (19-21). ( El Capitan was 11-14 at the line.) That’s what kept them in the game. It was a great game, packed house.”

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 24 (11 reb, 9 ast, 4 stl, 2 blk), Liana Pitman 15, Crisela Banks 9, Ashley Bunce 8, Britney Loring 3, Sam Spring 2.

West Hills scoring: Marilyn Naderhoff 23 (5 ast), Kimberly Clark 19 (8 reb), Sherika Miller 9, Mariah Bennett 7, Connie Hines 2.

STEELE CANYON 49, HELIX 40 – Host Steele Canyon defeated Helix for the first time in its 7-year history as BRIANA EITER hit 5 three-pointers on her way to a team-leading 17 points in Friday night’s (Feb. 1) Grossmont South League contest.

Although the Highlanders (10-13, 3-3 GSL) led 27-23 at intermission, the Cougars (10-12, 3-3 GSL) controlled the 2nd half.

Eiter sank a 3-pointer to give Steele Canyon a 46-35 lead with 2:41 remaining. BELINDA PICKENS scored on a bank shot, taking the Cougars to a 48-35 lead with 2:01 remaining.

That all but decided the game.

“I credit my four seniors – Pickens, Eiter, KATY SNEW and JACKIE McGOVERN – for helping us to win on heart tonight,” said Cougars coach PENNY SMITH.

“All season I tried to get the kids to listen, and they finally did, and stuck to the game plan. I think they could sense that this was going to be a big win for our program.”

BRITTANY WILLIAMS led Helix with 13 points but did not play in the 2nd half.

SINOI LEASAU added 12 points but fouled out in the final seconds. KAMI OLIVER chipped in 11 rebounds and 5 blocks for the Highlanders.

“We came out aggressive, created some turnovers, shot fairly well and rebounded well in the 1st quarter,” said Helix coach TRINA HANSEN. “ Steele Canyon played excellent basketball tonight. They seemed to have an answer for everything we tried. Nobody on our squad tonight played well.”

Steele Canyon scoring: Briana Eiter 17, Belinda Pickens 14, Jazmin Daigle 8, Katy Snew 6, Mace Alameri 3, G’kia Myles 1.

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 13 (3 reb, 2 stl), Sinoi Leasau 12 (3 reb, 2 blk), Nydah Royster 4 (2 reb), Kami Oliver 4 (11 reb, 5 ast, 5 blk), Tatiana Jackson 3 (6 reb, 1 blk), Krista Ronning 2 (3 reb, 2 blk), Mariah Walker 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 73, VALHALLA 19 – DANESIA WILLIAMSON led a balanced Mount Miguel attack with 18 points, 10 assists and 7 steals as the Matadors mowed down host Valhalla in Friday’s (Feb. 1) Grossmont South League action.

AUTUMN SPIKES added 14 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks, while CINDY EKWEOZOR chipped in with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks for the Matadors (13-4, 6-0 GSL).

KELSEY CARTMILL led Valhalla with 11 points and 4 rebounds.

Mount Miguel won the first meeting of these two teams this season 83-3.

“Actually Valhalla played really well in the 1st half,” said Mount Miguel coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL. “It was competitive in that half.”

“We scored 17 points in the 1st half with three of our normal starters missing and only one experienced guard,” said a pleased Valhalla coach, JON OWENS. “It’s pretty amazing – it’s actually enjoyable. We earned a lot of stats, for us. These kids really do work hard. I’ve never been so excited to score 19 points in my life.”

According to former Valhalla girls basketball coach and now-athletic director ROBERT WILSON, this was the most points Valhalla has scored against Mount Miguel since 2003.

Mount Miguel scoring: Danesia Williamson 18 (10 ast, 2 reb, 7 stl), Autumn Spikes 14 (12 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk, 2 stl), Cindy Ekweozor 13 (10 reb, 2 blk), Nicole Fountain 11 (3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Danielle Miller 9 (2 reb, 2 stl), Trina Clark 4 (3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Shateara Anderson 4 (2 reb).

Valhalla scoring: Kelsey Cartmill 11 (4 reb), Jenn Gold 2 (2 reb), Nichole Miller 2 (6 reb), Tanisha Lee 2 (5 reb), Amy Woods 2, Kelley Seitz (3 reb).

GROSSMONT 45, EL CAJON VALLEY 22 – It was all about balance for the Foothillers, who kept their playoffs hopes alive by downing visiting El Cajon Valley in Friday’s (Feb. 1) Grossmont North League action.

The cornerstone for Grossmont (11-10, 2-3 GNL) was TERRA MUSGROVE, who posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.

HEATHER SPRINGE actually led the Hillers with 12 points and collected 6 rebounds, while senior sparkplug TINA RIOS totaled 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.

Grossmont crept to a 29-20 lead after three quarters before using a 16-2 fourth period scoring sprint to win going away.

“ El Cajon Valley played great,” said Grossmont coach MARK DeFEDE. “A team like this can hang around. I think they just got worn down at the end. Their No. 11 point guard (HAZEL DOE) did a good job, she’s pretty quick.”

“Ours is a competitive league,” he added. “It was good having TERRA MUSGROVE back, she played the whole game and played pretty well.”

SHERAINA MOON led the Braves with 11 points, 6 steals and 5 rebounds, while TERICKA WILLIAMS led the team in rebounds with 7 and added 4 points.

“For three quarters we hung in there really well,” said Braves coach RANDY ROBINSON. “We played very hard, we played spirited. It just isn’t paying off in W’s but it’s certainly paying off in effort. We just lack the ability to score at crucial times. It’s a matter of youth, of learning how to score. We may be a ways away but I’m pretty excited how we played.”

Grossmont scoring: Heather Springe 12 (6 reb), Tina Rios 11 (5 ast, 5 stl), Terra Musgrove 11 (10 reb), Danielle Balderas 6, Chanel Putras 3, Allison Baxter 2, Tiffany Tooson (4 reb, 3 stl).

El Cajon Valley scoring: Sheraina Moon 11 (5 reb, 6 stl), Tericka Williams 4 (7 reb), Kaylani Faten 3, Erin Robinson 2, Hazel Doe 2, Samantha Julien (4 reb).

GRANITE HILLS 82, MONTE VISTA 21 – AMY SYLVESTER scored a career-high 20 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, made 6 steals and dished 3 assists Friday night (Feb. 1) as host Granite Hills moved past Monte Vista in a Grossmont South League game.

“This was Amy Sylvester’s best game of the season offensively,” said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER.

The Eagles (16-8, 5-1 GSL) knocked down 10 three-pointers – 4 of them by sophomore ALYSSA CANOFF – as they rolled to a 49-8 halftime lead.

MOLLY HILLENBRAND, playing little more than half the game, produced impressive numbers of 17 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 5 steals.

LAUREN BENDER chipped in which 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals.

“Lauren Bender and Amy were working well the high-low and Amy got some good opportunities inside. SABRINA JIMENEZ and SAM SILVA were getting into the paint and kicking out a lot.”

“The girls did a pretty good job getting in the lane and kicking out for the 3s,” said Parker. “We kept penetrating the zone and getting good looks.”

On Monte Vista’s side of the ledger, freshman DeANNA BEMBRY held her own with 4 points, 13 rebounds and 2 steals. JILL MIRANDA topped the Monarchs with 8 points.

“When we came out to play in the 3rd and 4th quarters we looked pretty good,” said Monte Vista coach MIKE SKIBBE. “ALEX ROSS was out due to illness and we missed her.”

Granite Hills scoring: Amy Sylvester 20 (8 rebounds, 6 stl, 3 ast), Molly Hillenbrand 17 (7 reb, 9 ast, 5 stl), Lauren Bender 12 (3 reb, 2 stl), Alyssa Canoff 12 (3 stl), Sabrina Jimenez 8 (2 reb, 7 ast, 6 stl), Kylee Wilson 7 (3 reb), Kari Hubert 3, Samantha Silva 3.

Monte Vista scoring: Jill Miranda 8, LiAiesha Brandon 4, DeAnna Bembry 4 (13 reb, 2 stl), Kayla Pusey 3 (5 reb), Janay Patton 2, Ailene Pamintuan (2 reb), Megan Boyce (4 reb).

HOOVER 48, CHRISTIAN 28 – For one of the few times this season the visiting Patriots of Christian High remained in contention until the 2nd half during Friday’s (Feb. 1) Central League game at Hoover.

“It was a real physical game and we don’t play physical basketball real well,” said Christian coach SKIP GERLEK. “I thought we played our best 4th quarter of the year tonight, especially on defense. Hoover shot the ball real well, especially the 3s, where they made six of them.”

Christian scoring: Ali Scott 10, Kelsey DePriest 7, Monique Elliott 4, Ricki Gentry 4, Marisa Marvin 3.